“The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.” –Olympic Charter

And let us begin with Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who sounded more pissed than professional in his dissent. Seriously, I expect that kind of rhetoric from the Glenn Becks and Bryan Fischers of the world, but not from an Associate Justice toward a colleague.

Then again,

There are two things with which you cannot argue: stupid and hate, and one often breeds the other.

Roslyn, Talitha, MacLaren, and I are pleased to announce the newest additions to our family: our son, Quincy Enoch Domenico Cargill, and our daughter, Rory Kate Duvall Cargill were born on May 11, 2013 at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City.

Quincy Enoch Domenico Cargill arrived at 7:22 pm. He weighed 5 lbs. 1 oz. Enoch is Roslyn grandfather’s name. Domenico is Robert’s great-grandfather’s name, and was the patriarch who brought the family to the U.S.

Rory Kate Duvall Cargill arrived at 7:26 pm. She weighed 4 lbs. 14 oz. Duvall is Roslyn’s family name going as far back as can be traced.

Roslyn is doing fine and recovering well. Daddy is already reading Aramaic to them both.

I arrived at my University of Iowa Jefferson Building (JB) office this morning (the day before my 40th birthday), and discovered this taped to my door.

It is supposedly the text of “1JB40Car (the Tye-Dye Scroll)”, a newly-discovered Dead Sea Scroll. It purports to be a list of things I’ve said during various classes at Iowa (with the most incriminating words conveniently lost to lacunae :).

Much of it appears to be corroborated by a textual congruency with a particular Twitter site, which I’m guessing was authored by the same students.

Anyways, I can neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of the statements below.

But I CAN say that I love teaching, I love my students, I love the University of Iowa!

Thanks guys!

(And NO, I shan’t be supplying the missing words…)

The text of 1JB40Car (the Tye-Dye Scroll), discovered posted on my University of Iowa Jefferson Building (JB) office door the day before my 40th birthday. It is a list of things I’ve apparently said during class (with the most incriminating words conveniently lost to lacunae :)

The text of 1JB40Car (the Tye-Dye Scroll), discovered posted on my University of Iowa Jefferson Building (JB) office door the day before my 40th birthday. It is a list of things I’ve apparently said during class (with the most incriminating words conveniently lost to lacunae :)

You survived the Mayan Apocalypse and Jesus didn’t return. So in the coming year…

– May you discover much you didn’t know, and may you integrate that knowledge into your life.
– May you find that for which you seek, and find something you did not expect.
– May you learn Hebrew and Aramaic for all the right reasons.
– And, may your life be full of smiles, confident nods from across the room, sidecars, and scholarly publications.

Last week the University of Iowa added an optional question to its application for undergraduate admission: “Do you identify with the LGBTQ Community?” The university has also given applicants a third gender option, allowing prospective undergrads and graduate students to identify themselves as “transgender” instead of “male” or “female.”

This is good move on the part of my university, and I foresee optional questions like this one – that are NOT used in evaluating admissions, but DO allow students to self-identify as a part of a minority group – becoming commonplace on other national universities’ applications.

It will allow the University’s various social services to better identify and assist those students who want to be recognized as LGBTQ students to receive desired social services.

Likewise, it affirms that there are, in fact, gay, transgender, and intersexual students in America, and recognizes them (again, should they desire to self-identify and be recognized) as equals along with their peers, all of whom possess diverse, personal characteristics including race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran.

I am very proud of my university for, among other things, leading the way with regard to issues of equality and student psychological health.

Roslyn and I are very excited. No knowledge of genders yet, although we do know they are fraternal (and not identical). Ros and the twins (it still sounds weird to write and say it) are all healthy, albeit tired.

Tali is excited and rooting for sisters. Mac is excited, as he wants playmates to climb on. Professor Tiggens, however, is not excited, as he will drop two more spots on the alpha male scale.

We expect the twins, codenamed: Azekah and Sochoh (for reasons unspoken) to be born toward the end of May or early June, just prior to the beginning of Season 2 of the Azekah archaeological excavation beginning mid-July, 2013.